Mouthpiece or drag for suction-pipes for dredges.



No.'657,568. Patented Sept-1|, 1900; A. w. nosmsou.

IOUTHPIECE 0R DRAG F08 SUCTION PIPES F08 DREDGES.

(Applicltion filed Kay 7, 1960.)

(N0 Model.)

UNITED. STATES PATENT OF Ics.

. ARTHUR W. ROBINSON, OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN.

MOUTHPIECE OR DRAG FOR SUCTION-PIPES FOR DREDGES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters PatentNo. 657,568, dated September 11, 1900.

Original application filed December 8, 1899, Serial No, 739,619. Divided and this application filed May '7, 1900. Serial No. 15,854. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ARTHUR W. RoBINsoN,a citizen of the Dominion of Canada, and a resident of Milwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee and State of Wisconsin, (having my postoflice address at No. 390 La Fayette street,)

have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mouthpieces or Drags for Suetion-Pipes forDredges, of which the following is a specification, reference beinghad to the accompanying drawings, in Which- Figure 1 illustrates a side elevation of the invention. Fig. 2 illustrates a plan view thereof.

Drags or mouthpieces have ordinarily been rigidly bolted or' otherwise attached to the lower end of the suction-pipe. It frequently happens that the cutter or teeth of the drag or some other part thereof catches on rocks, snags, or other obstructions which will not yield, with the result, if the dredge has any considerable headway or there is much sea running, that rupture is inevitable of some part of the suction-pipe or the mouthpiece, Or both. It sometimes happens, indeed, that the suction-pipe will be entirely torn away from the dredge or vessel and dropped overboard. difficulty, I provide a hinged joint at the upper side of the drag proper, whereby it is connected to the end of the pipe, or rather to a casting attached thereto, and the casting and the drag are both provided with flanges, through which relatively-small bolts pass, so that the drag is held in proper position during all strains which will normally come upon it when in use; but in the event of excessive strains-for instance, the drag or its teeth catching under a ledge of rock or against a submerged tree-trunk or other obstruction which refuses to yield or move-the threads of these relatively-small bolts will be stripped,

whereupon the drag or mouthpiece will become free to move, oscillating upon its hinge,

is usually made of steel.

In order to avoid this.

substituted for those that have been stripped. Thus in a few minutes the dredge may be at work again in normal condition. In this way serious and expensive accident to the apparatus andalso considerable delays in the work are avoided.

In the drawings A illustrates the lower end of the lower section of the suction-pipe. It Other material may be employed, however.

B is a casting which I prefer to attach to the lower end of the pipe A by bolts or in any other suitable manner. 0 is a flange upon this casting.

D D are two upwardly-projecting lugs, preferably cast integral with the casting and on the upper side of the pipe.

E is the mouthpiece or drag. It is preferably provided with on tting-teeth F,Which may be of any preferred form, and it has a lever or arm G, whereby a gate H may be Opened in the upper rear portion of the mouthpiece to supply flushing-water when necessary, as is well understood.

The drag has a flange I, which coincides withthe flange O on the casting B, and J J are the small bolts referred to which pass through holes made in the flanges.

K K are two lugs on the upper side of the'8o M is a plate of metal which extends from the flange I, to which it is riveted, as shown, to another flange N, near the mouth of the drag. This plate acts as a shoe upon which the drag rides over the bottom, whereby toodeep penetration of it into the bottom is prevented.

O is a sling-chain which connects bya bail P or otherwise with the lower end of the pipe or with the casting B, as preferred, whereby the pipe and drag may be elevated when desired in a manner well understood.

The operation of the apparatus is obvious from what has already been stated-that is to say, if the drag or its teeth or any part of them should become caught upon or entangled with a weighty obstructionas, forinstance, under aledge of rock or against the trunk of a heavy treeoranyjminovable obj (yeti-instead of disastrous'ly rupturing or tearing-away the suction-pipe or some part of it or destroying the mouthpiece or drag the threads on-thesmall bolts J J will merely strip, thus freeing the drag and 'permittingait "toaswi-ng onztheistrong and heavy hinge on its upper side, by

' which it will be securely held to the suction- 1 pipe and-"itslossmreventedfl Al'lithatzis'ith'ensi necessary is to hoist the pipe, put in a few more bolts, screw them up, and the drag is returnedzto its oniaginal operatiweippsiti ons I do not limit myself. to the details, de scribed and shown above, because it will'be obvious to those who are familiar with this art that alterations maybe made in esnchdee tails withoutdeparting f ro'm"the essentialsof'i the in ventiont 1. In asuction-pipe, a drag or mouthpiece" hinged at one side to the pipeand hbld'thereto" atytherothen side .by easilygruptured devices, for the-purposes set fort 1 Y 2. In .a suction-pipe, a drag or mouthpiece connected to the pipe by easily-ruptured devices, and means whereby the drag or mouth- {piece can zbewre'eove red aftergsaid devices have been ruptured, for the purposes set forth.

' I. 3. The -combination of asuction-pipe, a

fliiagf'or;"inouthpicm-a :hinge connection: he-

7 tween the two at the upper side of the pipe,

ROBINSON. 

